Personal Training

Personal Training

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe to match your nature with Nature. ~ Joseph Campbell

Maximize your time and energy to be the best you can be!
I am dedicated to offer you an exceptional personal training program that will help you achieve a higher level of health and fitness. The benefits that you may enjoy include increased energy levels, improved posture, weight loss, reduced joint stiffness, increased core strength, sport-specific conditioning, better stamina, and an improved sense of well being. I specialize in private and partner training programs, offered in one hour sessions. Most clients choose to work out with me for 1-2 training sessions a week. We typically meet at the Wood River YMCA in Ketchum, Idaho. If you prefer to work out at home, your program will be designed for that. Some exercises may require that you purchase a few very inexpensive items like a foam roller, or an exercise ball or bands.

Partner Training

Partner training is an affordable way to have personalized training and split the cost. Couples particularly enjoy the time interacting and encouraging their spouses, while having fun and working hard.

Small Group Training

Small group training keeps you engaged and moving. Clients enjoy the group dynamics and want to continue taking their training to the next level under the guidance of a personal coach. Three or four people split the cost.

 How Do We Start?

I ask you to fill out a physical readiness questionnaire, called a PAR-Q. This is a standard form that, depending on your answers, tells you whether or not you need to check with your doctor before you start or continue with your exercise program. Along with this, I ask you to fill out a health and lifestyle questionnaire that gives me more specific information about you.A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Your first session is critical to helping you set up a foundation for success. You will undergo a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment to look at your body. Don’t worry, you can wear comfortable clothes! We might find imbalances that may be causing pain or dysfunction in other areas of your body. This assessment includes posture, both standing, and in real life. From here, we build a program that is tailored specifically to meet your needs, guaranteeing outstanding program results.

How much does it cost?

The fees for training are offered in to however many you’d like, small packages of 10 sessions, or larger ones, with a discount! Sessions are pre-paid, by check.

What do we do?
Unless you have specific concerns/goals, a well- rounded program needs to include the following:

  • Overall strength: I like exercises that incorporate full body movement, because in life and sports, we need to move well. It gives you better results overall.
  • Core Training : Your midsection provides the foundation for a stable center of gravity, which helps support your spine, enhance your posture, and prevent certain muscle-related injuries. (Essential Core / Copyright ) Having a strong core is crucial.
  • Balance and Coordination: You will get this automatically in your workouts because you won’t be using a lot of machines.
  • Flexibility: If you train with me, you will eventually be doing yoga! I incorporate specific flexibility, if necessary, throughout your workout.
  • Cardiovascular endurance: To be a regular exerciser, you have to find time in your schedule on an ongoing basis. I want to help you become more aware of the many opportunities to move more in your daily life.

 My Policies

I do require  24 hours’ notice when canceling an appointment.

Two people are doing exercises with a trx.

Stretching out after a great TRX Suspension trainer workout

Two people are doing exercises with a trx.

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Fitness Guru: 6 key daily exercises for core and flexibility

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  • By CONNIE ARONSON #fitnessguru

Daily habits can be powerful. Routine builds structure, helps us stay on track and use our time wisely. Adding a simple mini exercise program to your day is one way to succeed. For many of us, we’re missing some key exercises that can keep us flexible, injury-free and improve function. Here are six top core and flexibility exercises that will enhance your athletic performance. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, or simply just enjoy being active and don’t want to get injured, incorporate these moves into your day.

Activate the core: Heel-on-toe crunch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
The heel-on-toe crunch targets the abdominals while limiting spine movement.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

The core muscles help stabilize the spine and support movement. The following two core exercises build muscular fitness, have minimal movement, and are far more effective than a standard sit-up. To a viewer, it might not look like you’re doing much of anything, writes Stuart McGill in his book, “Back Mechanic,†but with proper technique, you should feel like you’re working.

  • Begin with your legs straight, left heel on top of right foot.
  • Bring your left hand behind your head for support, and lift your right arm straight up from your shoulder.
  • Curl up, raising your head, neck and shoulder blades off the mat, tightening your abdominals.
  • Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Slowly return to the start position. Six reps.

Side-lying hip lift

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Side-lying hip lift. If you have a sensitive spine, bring the top foot ahead of the bottom foot.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • To regress the move, lift from bent knees.
  • Lying on your right side with your top leg stacked, place your right elbow under your right shoulder.
  • Exhale and lift your right hip off the floor.
  • Hold for 10 counts.
  • Slowly lower to start. 6-8 reps. Switch sides.

Wall hamstring stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Wall hamstring Stretch. Slide the hips further down the wall for a greater range of motion.
You can increase the stretch, and involve more gastrocnemius, by taking the outside leg across the body.

The wall hamstring stretch is an effective way to stretch your hamstrings. The stability of the wall and prone position help you relax deeper into the stretch, and you can easily adjust the intensity by moving your hips further or closer to the wall. Tight hamstrings may be a sign of imbalances, such as an anterior pelvic tilt or tracking problems of the knee. The hamstrings start at the sit bones and attach on either side of the lower leg. The muscles act as guide ropes on the legs as the foot rolls inward or outward (pronation and supination).

  • Lie on the floor with the stretching leg on the corner of a wall or doorframe, with the other leg flat on the floor, heeled flexed.
  • Use a pillow for your neck if needed.
  • Move the hips closer or further from the wall to adjust the intensity.
  • Keep the bottom leg straight. If you can’t, bend the bottom knee.
  • Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat two to three cycles on each leg. Tip: Squeezing the quads will increase the stretch.

Foam roller alignment

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Reset your alignment every day by lying on a foam roller.

Lying lengthwise on a foam roller not only feels good but encourages good spinal length. If you’re hunched over with age, or are guilty of bending forward while scrolling on your phone, it can result in a “forward head.†For every inch that your head is forward, there’s 10 more pounds of pressure on the neck. Lengthening the lumbar erector spinal muscles helps encourage neutral alignment and good posture.

  • With your knees bent, lie on a roller, head supported and neck in a neutral position.
  • Tighten the abdominals.
  • Gently roll side to side for 20-30 seconds, two to three times.

Foam roller thoracic spine

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Foam roller thoracic spine Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

Using a foam roller on your thoracic spine helps upper back stiffness, as you can target the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. Rolling is a self-myofascial release technique that immediately relaxes sore spots and movement restrictions, allowing soft tissue and inflamed joints to rest and recover.

  • Place a foam roller under your shoulder blades or at bra height.
  • Support your head and tuck your chin.
  • Bend your knees, tilt the pelvis slightly and lift your hips and pelvis off the floor.
  • Gently roll on any tight or sore spots for 20-30 seconds.

Prayer stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Prayer stretch . Perform prayer stretch immediately after you’ve finished foam rolling any sore spots on the upper back. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • Kneel on the floor with your hands on a roller.
  • Slowly extend your arms forward, letting your chest move toward the floor.
  • Relax in the stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat two to three times.
  • If you don’t have a roller, walk your hands forward, fully extending your arms, allowing your head to rest gently on the floor.

Check out https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-6-key-daily-exercises-for-core-and-flexibility/article_41acafc6-df2f-11ef-b349-9fac77851449.html

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